The dingo is Australia’s ‘wild dog’. However the dingoes does not originate from Australia, but from Indonesia. The dingo comes from the first group of domesticated doges, but became wild again after reaching Australia by boat around 5000 years ago. The dingo can be found in many different shades of ginger, black and white. The dingo has the ability to turn its head almost 180 degrees to each side and to turn its wrists, making it an excellent hunter. The dingo does not have any enemies but humans who force is to inhabit areas towards the centre of Australia.
Habitat: The Australian dingo can be found throughout mainland Australia. It is present in every state, excluding Tasmania. They can be found in the deserts, forests and mountains, however they tend to inhabit areas close to water sources and areas with small populations of people. Also dingoes prefer to live at the edge of forests close to open plains, so that they can hunt more easily. Australia houses the largest variety of climates, landscapes, flora and fauna in the world. Climate varies throughout Australia.
Towards the north coastline the climate is very tropical, this is because of the warm wind that comes from Indonesia. The annual rainfall for this area is around 1 813mm, temperatures are often around 32 degrees Celcius in summer. Towards the southwest and southeast the climate is temperate, with cold air coming from the arctic. The average annual rainfall in this area is around 846mm; temperatures can get up to around 25 degrees Celsiuc. The centre of Australia is covered with deserts. The climate is dry with less than 200mm of rainfall each year. Temperatures often reach around 40 degrees Celsius during the day. This is not a problem for dingoes because they only need to drink once a day.
There is also a wide variation in vegetation throughout the dingo’s habitat. One of the main types of forest in Australia is the closed forest. These can be found all along the coast, however they can vary in the types of trees (e.g. mangroves & evergreen). The main characteristic of the closed forest is that it does not let a lot of light pass through the top layer. Another type of forest common in Australia is the open forest, mainly dominated by the eucalyptus tree. These forests can be found in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, further off the coast line. Grasslands can also be found in Australia. These unlike the forests are found towards the centre of the mainland, were it is dryer.
There are many other animals, which live in the dingo’s habitat. There are vast numbers of insects, birds (on land and in the sky), different types of reptiles and other mammals like the kangaroo and the wombat. In some cases there are also cattle, sheep and goats. All these animals and insects are part of the dingoes diet. Depending on the size and type of pray, the dingo hunts in groups (3 to 12) or as individuals.
Structural Adaptation (1): pointed ears The dingo has permanently erect ears, in the shape of a triangle. This is useful to the dingo as it helps the dingo to hear well. As a carnivore the dingo has to be able to hear well during the hunt for food. The dingo can also use this ability to hear any approaching enemies, however the only real threat to the dingo are humans. The dingo also uses its ears to loose heat. As its body is covered in fur the dingo cannot sweat apart from its paws ands its ears. This adaptation could have been caused by the need to hunt well, as part of its diet consists of animals as small as mice and lizards.
Structural Adaptation (2): colour of fur The dingo can come in many different colour tones. Most commonly it is a red-brown with white areas on the stomach and paws. Depending on the location it inhabits it can be cream coloured to a dark tan. It is even possible for dingoes to be black or white, however this is extremely rare. The colour of its fur helps the dingo camouflage itself. The red-brown colour most likely became more common after humans forced the dingo to move further inland. In these areas the ground is also often a red colour, helping the dingo to blend into its surroundings. The dingo’s fur is also very short, apart from the tail, which is bushy. This would help the dingo to stay cooler when temperatures reach their maximum point. This adaptation could have been raised due to the higher chance of survival if the dingo had a red-brown colour, which blended with its surroundings. Also short fur might have been better suited to the environment, which would have become dominant through natural selection.
Behavioural Adaptation (1): howling, wining Dingoes have their own form of communication, similar to the wolf. They use a series of howls to defend their territory from strays and to spread warning signals to their pack. They also use these sounds to call back puppies that have gone astray. Dingoes unlike the domestic dog cannot bark. Recently people have started to believe that the dingo has its own form of a bark. This however could be the result of interbreeding with domestic dogs. This adaptation could have been caused because it was the most efficient way to signal the pack. Also the open grasslands would have helped the howl carry for a farther distance.
Behavioural Adaptation (2): Grouping of small packs The dingo often lives in small groups consisting of family members. These can contain three to twelve dingoes. During the breeding season smaller groups of dingoes often join to form one big group. This group then also takes care of the puppies together. As dingoes often hunt as individuals it is hard to catch larger animals, such as the kangaroo and wombats. Smaller groups also group up together when large game is hunted. This adaptation could have risen because dingoes are pack animals and prefer to divide the task of hunting between them to make the task easier.
Physiological Adaptation: produce offspring once year Unlike the domestic dog a female dingo can only produce offspring once a year. This usually occurs in the months of March to June. A litter usually consists of four to six puppies (on average 5), and the gestation is around 63 days. Different from the females, male dingoes produce sperm all year round. However it has been discovered that males do not reproduce outside of the mating season (March to June). This could have been caused because of the time the parents care for their puppies. On average puppies only become independent after four months, however they stay with their parents for at least a year learning how to hunt and survive. Therefore the dingo does not have time to take care of their first litter and get a second one at the same time.
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Australian Dingo (Canis lupus dingo)
Habitat:
The Australian dingo can be found throughout mainland Australia. It is present in every state, excluding Tasmania. They can be found in the deserts, forests and mountains, however they tend to inhabit areas close to water sources and areas with small populations of people. Also dingoes prefer to live at the edge of forests close to open plains, so that they can hunt more easily.
Australia houses the largest variety of climates, landscapes, flora and fauna in the world. Climate varies throughout Australia.
Towards the north coastline the climate is very tropical, this is because of the warm wind that comes from Indonesia. The annual rainfall for this area is around 1 813mm, temperatures are often around 32 degrees Celcius in summer. Towards the southwest and southeast the climate is temperate, with cold air coming from the arctic. The average annual rainfall in this area is around 846mm; temperatures can get up to around 25 degrees Celsiuc. The centre of Australia is covered with deserts. The climate is dry with less than 200mm of rainfall each year. Temperatures often reach around 40 degrees Celsius during the day. This is not a problem for dingoes because they only need to drink once a day.
There is also a wide variation in vegetation throughout the dingo’s habitat. One of the main types of forest in Australia is the closed forest. These can be found all along the coast, however they can vary in the types of trees (e.g. mangroves & evergreen). The main characteristic of the closed forest is that it does not let a lot of light pass through the top layer. Another type of forest common in Australia is the open forest, mainly dominated by the eucalyptus tree. These forests can be found in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, further off the coast line. Grasslands can also be found in Australia. These unlike the forests are found towards the centre of the mainland, were it is dryer.
There are many other animals, which live in the dingo’s habitat. There are vast numbers of insects, birds (on land and in the sky), different types of reptiles and other mammals like the kangaroo and the wombat. In some cases there are also cattle, sheep and goats. All these animals and insects are part of the dingoes diet. Depending on the size and type of pray, the dingo hunts in groups (3 to 12) or as individuals.
Structural Adaptation (1): pointed ears
The dingo has permanently erect ears, in the shape of a triangle. This is useful to the dingo as it helps the dingo to hear well. As a carnivore the dingo has to be able to hear well during the hunt for food. The dingo can also use this ability to hear any approaching enemies, however the only real threat to the dingo are humans. The dingo also uses its ears to loose heat. As its body is covered in fur the dingo cannot sweat apart from its paws ands its ears. This adaptation could have been caused by the need to hunt well, as part of its diet consists of animals as small as mice and lizards.
Structural Adaptation (2): colour of fur
The dingo can come in many different colour tones. Most commonly it is a red-brown with white areas on the stomach and paws. Depending on the location it inhabits it can be cream coloured to a dark tan. It is even possible for dingoes to be black or white, however this is extremely rare. The colour of its fur helps the dingo camouflage itself. The red-brown colour most likely became more common after humans forced the dingo to move further inland. In these areas the ground is also often a red colour, helping the dingo to blend into its surroundings. The dingo’s fur is also very short, apart from the tail, which is bushy. This would help the dingo to stay cooler when temperatures reach their maximum point. This adaptation could have been raised due to the higher chance of survival if the dingo had a red-brown colour, which blended with its surroundings. Also short fur might have been better suited to the environment, which would have become dominant through natural selection.
Behavioural Adaptation (1): howling, wining
Dingoes have their own form of communication, similar to the wolf. They use a series of howls to defend their territory from strays and to spread warning signals to their pack. They also use these sounds to call back puppies that have gone astray. Dingoes unlike the domestic dog cannot bark. Recently people have started to believe that the dingo has its own form of a bark. This however could be the result of interbreeding with domestic dogs. This adaptation could have been caused because it was the most efficient way to signal the pack. Also the open grasslands would have helped the howl carry for a farther distance.
Behavioural Adaptation (2): Grouping of small packs
The dingo often lives in small groups consisting of family members. These can contain three to twelve dingoes. During the breeding season smaller groups of dingoes often join to form one big group. This group then also takes care of the puppies together. As dingoes often hunt as individuals it is hard to catch larger animals, such as the kangaroo and wombats. Smaller groups also group up together when large game is hunted. This adaptation could have risen because dingoes are pack animals and prefer to divide the task of hunting between them to make the task easier.
Physiological Adaptation: produce offspring once year
Unlike the domestic dog a female dingo can only produce offspring once a year. This usually occurs in the months of March to June. A litter usually consists of four to six puppies (on average 5), and the gestation is around 63 days. Different from the females, male dingoes produce sperm all year round. However it has been discovered that males do not reproduce outside of the mating season (March to June). This could have been caused because of the time the parents care for their puppies. On average puppies only become independent after four months, however they stay with their parents for at least a year learning how to hunt and survive. Therefore the dingo does not have time to take care of their first litter and get a second one at the same time.
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